Rahul Gandhi to address 2 election rallies in MP tomorrow

New Delhi, Oct 16: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi will address two election rallies in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, it was announced on Wednesday. Gandhi will first speak at Lalpur Ground in Shahdol and then at Mela Ground in Gwalior.

Madhya Pradesh will elect a new assembly in November.

Earlier on Oct 12, the Congress had cancelled two rallies of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi in Uttar Pradesh scheduled on Oct 22, due to the prospects of thin attendance owing to Hindu festival 'Karvachauth'.

While Congress leaders attributed this for the axing of the rallies at Hamirpur and Salempur, other sources said the Congress was unhappy with the poor turnout at Rahul Gandhi's rallies in Aligarh and Rampur.

The Congress cancelled 2 rallies of Rahul Gandhi in UP owing to poor attendance

At both Aligarh and Rampur, the crowds were much below Congress expectations. After his return to the capital, Gandhi is learnt to have pulled up Congress leaders from Uttar Pradesh, the sources said.

As Uttar Pradesh remains crucial for the Congress electoral arithmetic, the poor show was "certainly a cause for worry" for the party, a party leader said. The Congress holds 22 of the state's 80 Lok Sabha seats.

Rahul Gandhi is to address eight rallies across Uttar Pradesh this year. The BJP has announced nine rallies to be addressed by its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

The ruling Samajwadi Party is slated to hold 18 rallies.

The thin attendance at Gandhi's rallies has been ridiculed by his opponents.

IANS